Effects of herbal plants on ducks and quail infected with Eimeria species

Abstract

The anticoccidial effects of herbal plants containing essential oils Artemisia absinthium, Salvia officinalis, Mentha piperita, Matricaria chamomilla and Thymus serpyllum on E. bateri and E. schachdagica were evaluated in quails (Coturnix Coturnix) and ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) after oral infection (15,000 sporulated oocysts E. bateri and E. schachdagica per birds). This study was performed using 15-day-old birds (n=120). The animals were divided into 6 groups (n =20): G1 is the untreated/infected control, G 2 is a group infected and fed S. officinalis (2500 mg/kg), group 3 was fed A. absinthium (1500 mg/kg), G4 was fed M. piperita (2500 mg/kg), G5 was fed M. chamomilla (2500 mg/kg), G6 was fed T. serpyllum (2500 mg/kg). The birds were fed with or without herbal plants for 1 week before and after infection. The effects of herbal plants on Eimeria infection of birds have been assessed by number of fecal oocysts at 4th to 14 days of infection. The T. serpyllum -fed ducks and M. chamomilla –fed quails produced a lower number of fecal oocysts than the birds who were fed the standard diet.